This invention generally relates to systems and methods for producing feedstock for biofuel and biochemical manufacturing processes, particularly systems and methods capable of receiving slurries having relatively high solids concentrations and capable of recycling a catalyst.
In recent years, biomass (i.e., recently living organisms or materials derived from living or recently living organisms) has been considered as an energy resource due to the increasing global demand for energy and decreasing reserves of traditional energy resources, such as oil, coal, and the like. However, the widespread use of biomass-based energy is currently limited because biomass processing costs are still relatively high compared to those of traditional energy resources.
The high processing costs of biomass-based energy can be attributed to various factors. One of these factors is the relatively low throughput of biomass processing systems. In particular, biomass is typically transferred through system conduits in the form of a partial liquid and partial solid slurry. To move such a slurry through the conduits, the processing systems typically include one or more pumps. However, these pumps are only operable when the pumped material is mostly liquid. As such, the amount of biomass that can be processed at one time is limited by the percentage of biomass that can be pumped and transferred through the system's conduits. The water requirement to produce the slurry also adds to processing costs due to the increased energy necessary to heat the water.
The relatively low throughput of biomass processing systems is also affected by relatively slow processing steps. One such step is the batch-wise removal of a catalyst, which is initially used to increase the speed of biomass conversion, from the converted biomass product.
Therefore, what is needed are systems and methods for converting higher concentrations of biomass to feedstock for biofuel and biochemical manufacturing processes and for removing a catalyst from the feedstock in a more efficient manner.